Combustion chamber with crossover tubes



May 25,1954 A. w. GAuBATz 2,679,136

COMBUSTION CHAMBER WITH CROSSOVER TUBES Filed Oct. 21. 1950 mms' Bnoentor Gttornegs Patented May 25, 1954 wie aevaio rected flanges 2| of the collars I4, the spacing between the flanges 2| being slightly greater than the total thickness of the two flanges 20. The flanges 2| are cut out or scalloped as indicated at 22, leaving projecting portions 23 (Fig. 3) between the scallops which engage the outer surface of the inner tubes I9 to locate and center these tubes. The scallops 22 extend to the base of the flange 2| and beyond the outer diameter 'of the anges 20, so that air may flow through fthe collars I4 between the combustion chambers II.

A considerable space is left between the ends of the colla-rs I4. Escape of air through this gap is prevented by a split sleeve 24 comprising two semi-cylindrical sections 26 and 21 and expanding piston ring seals 28 engaged in grooves in the outer surface of the collars I4 and bearing against the cylindrical inner surface of the sleeve 24. Preferably, there are two seals 8I mounted in each collar I4 near the outer end thereof. The axial length of the sleeve 24 is considerably greater than the extreme distance between seals 28 but somewhat less than the distance between the faces of the flanges I1, so that relative expansion of the combustion chambers may take place freely and the sleeve may slide back and forth or rotate on the seals.

The two halves 26 and 2 of the sleeve are formed with outwardly-extending lugs which are bored for studs 3| (Fig. 3), the member 2 being tapped to receive the studs and the sleeve being held assembled by nuts 32 on the studs.

The two collars I4, the sleeve 24, and the seals 28 constitute a substantially airtight outer crossover tube between adjacent combustion shells II, and the tubes I9 constitute a crossover between adjacent flame tubes I2 providing for flame propagation between the flame tubes. Air flow longitudinally of the chambers Il and between the chambers through the outer tube cools the crossover tubes I9, which are heated to a considerable extent by heat radiated from the flames in the flame tubes I2.

The invention greatly facilitates installation s and removal of the combustion chambers. For normal installation, the flame tube I2 is installed in the casing I I in whatever manner is appropriate to the structure of these elements, with the ports `I8 of the name tubes aligned with the openings I3 of the casings. The inner crossover tube sections I9 are slipped into the ports of the flame tubes until they bear against the flanges 2| of the collars I4. The combustion chambers are then installed between the cornpressor and turbine of the engine. It is then necessary only to t the two halves of the sleeve 24 over the rings 28 and tighten the nuts 32 to complete the assembly. The nuts 32 are easily accessible.

For disassembly, to remove a combustion chamber, all that is normally necessary, so far as the crossover tube structure is concerned, is to remove the nuts 32 and the sleeves 24 between the combustion chamber to be removed and the two adjoining combustion chambers.

It will be noted, moreover, that where engines are in close side by side relation, a combustion chamber may be installed or removed without the necessity of applying or removing the nuts 32 of a relatively inaccessible sleeve with the combustion chambers in place. For example, if it is desired to install the combustion chamber indi'- cated as B in Figure 1 with the combustion chamber identied as A in place, the sleeve 24 may be assembled over the collar I4 of combustion. chamber A and then, by compressing the ring seals 28 of the collar I4 of combustion chamber B, these rings may be slipped into the sleeve 24. It will be noted that the ends of the sleeve are slightly chamfered, as indicated at 33 in Figure 2, to facilitate this operation. Ordinarily, in a side by side power unit mounting, only one crossover tube of each power unit is inaccessible with the combustion chambers in place. Thus, assuming that the crossover tube between chambers A and B is installed with the sleeve already assembled .as just described, the remaining crossover tubes such as those between chambers B and C and between C and D may be installed with the sleeves removed and the sleeves then assembled. For removal of a casing I I, the collar I4 slips readily out of the sleeve 24.

Thus, the combustion chambers may be put in place or removed without any difficult problems of assembling or disassembling the crossover tubes. Where the proximity of another power unit makes it inconvenient to separate the halves of the sleeve 24, the sleeve may be left in place and the combustion chamber moved slightly to one side to remove or insert the collar I4 in the sleeve `24.

The advantages of the invention in simplicity, reliability, provision for free expansion of the elements, and ease of assembly and disassembly will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modiiications of structure may be made within the principles and scope of the invention, which are not to be regarded as limited by the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A combustion apparatus comprising a plurality of combustion chambers, flame tubes therein, the chambers and tubes being formed with aligned lateral openings facing similar openings in the adjacent chambers and tubes; collars fixed to the chambers in alignment with the said openings; a sleeve extending over the collars, the sleeve being slidable with respect to the collars; sealing means between each collar and the sleeve; tube sections coupled to the llame tubes extending through the collars to provide crossover tubes between the llame tubes, the ends of the tube sections of each crossover tube remote from the flame tubes being adjacent to each other; and means for directly supporting and locating the adjacent ends of the tube sections from the collars for limited freedom of movement axially of the collars.

2. A combustion apparatus comprising a plurality of combustion chambers, flame tubes therein, the chambers and tubes being formed with aligned lateral openings facing similar openings in the adjacent chambers and tubes; collars flXed to the chambers in alignment with the said openings; a sleeve, comprising two semi-cylindrical parts and means for securing the parts together, extending over the collars, the sleeve being slidable with respect to the collars; sealing means between each Collar and the sleeve; tube sections coupled to the flame tubes and extending through the collars to provide crossover tubes between the flame tubes, the ends of the tube sections of each crossover tube remote from the flame tubes being adjacent to each other; and means for locating the adjacent ends of the tube sections in the collars.

3. A combustion apparatus comprising a plurality of combustion chambers, llame tubes therein, the chambers and tubes being formed with aligned lateral openings facing similar openings in the .adjacent chambers and tubes; collars fixed to the chambers in alignment with the said openings; a sleeve extending over the collars, the sleeve being slidable with respect to the collars; sealing means between each collar and the sleeve; tube sections coupled to the llame tubes and extending through the collars to provide crossover tubes between the fiame tubes, the ends of the tube sections of each crossover tube remote from the dame tubes being adjacent to each other and the said ends being flanged outwardly; and means for locating the adjacent ends of the tube sections in the collars with limited freedom of movement axially of the collars comprising flanges extending radially inwardly from the collars adjacent the ends of the collars remote from the combustion chambers and engaging the tube sections between the flanges on the tube sections and the combustion chamber into which the respective tube sections extend.

4. A combustion apparatus comprising a plurality of combustion chambers, flame tubes therein, the chambers and tubes being formed with aligned lateral openings facing similar openings in the adjacent chambers and tubes; collars xed to the chambers in alignment with the said openings; a sleeve extending over the collars, the sleeve being slidable with respect to the collars; sealing means between each collar and the sleeve; tube sections coupled to the llame tubes and extending through the collars to provide crossover tubes between the flame tubes, the ends of the tube sections of each crossover tube remote from the flame tubes being adjacent to each other and the said ends being flanged outwardly; and means for locating the adjacent ends of the tube sections in the collars with limited freedom of movement axially of the collars comprising spaced projections extending radially inwardly from the collars adjacent the ends of the collars remote from the combustion chambers and engaging the tube sections between the flanges on the tube sections and the combustion chamber into which the respective tube sections extend.

5. A combustionrapparatus comprising a plurality 'of combustion chambers, ame tubes therein, the chambers and tubes being formed with aligned lateral openings facing similar openings in the adjacent chambers and tubes; collars xed to the chambers in alignment with the said openings; a. sleeve extending over the collars, the

sleeve being slidable with respect to the collars; sealing means between each collar and the sleeve; tube sections coupled to the flame tubes and extending through the collars to provide crossover tubes between the ame tubes, the ends of the tube sections of each crossover tube remote from the flame tubes being adjacent to each other and the said ends being flanged outwardly; and means for locating the adjacent ends of the tube sections in the collars with limited freedom of movement axially of the collars comprising spaced projections extending radially inwardly from the collars adjacent the ends of the collars remote from the combustion chambers and engaging the tube sections between the flanges on the tube sections and the combustion chamber into which the respective tube sections extend; the distance between opposed projections on opposed collars being greater than the combined thickness of the two tube section flanges between the projections.

6. A combustion apparatus comprising a plurality of combustion chambers, flame tubes therein, the chambers and tubes being formed with aligned lateral openings facing similar openings in the adjacent chambers and tubes; collars xed to the chambers in alignment with the said openings; a sleeve extending over the collars, the sleeve being slidable With respect to the collars; sealing means between each collar and the sleeve; tube sections slidably coupled to the flame tubes extending through and slidably supported by the collars to provide removable crossover tubes between the flame tubes, the ends of the tube sections of each crossover tube remote from the flame tubes being adjacent to each other; the tube sections being mounted in the collars free from the sleeve so that adjacent combustion chambers may be coupled or uncoupled by sliding a collar and the tube section therein into or out of the sleeve.

References cited in the fue of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 2,437,385 Halford Mar. 9, 1948 2,480,203 Steuer Aug. 30, 1949 2,525,207 Clarke et al Oct. 10, 1950 2,540,642 Allen at al Feb. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,193 Great Britain Sept. 25, 1914 575,922 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1946 

